Adventures By Disney- Arizona

If you love nature, hiking, the great outdoors, then you need to take the Arizona/Utah ABD trip!  While folks may think "I can do that on my own, why do I need ABD?", there is something so magical about the ease of travel with ABD.  You get to ride along and enjoy the scenery instead of worrying about driving and directions.  You get to hike with knowledgeable locals who tell you all sorts of facts and stories about plants, animals, history, geology, food, culture, etc.  You get to make a whole new group of friends and create special memories together, creating a bond like no other.  You don't have to worry about carrying water and snacks... the guides have that covered for you!  You simply show up with your family and let ABD take care of everything while you just enjoy the trip.   Here's some of our favorite highlights: 

·         Sedona We had never visited Sedona so I was glad ABD made this our starting point for the trip.  Definitely a unique vibe to the town, shops, hotels, even the spas.  The desert is absolutely beautiful and it's so much more than dusty cactus nothingness that I had imagined!

·         Grand Canyon National Park I loved our lodging at Thunderbird Lodge.  I had VERY low expectations since I knew it was a National Park hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised with the room.  I would equate it to a Value Disney resort... nothing fancy but it was clean and comfortable, and we were literally steps from the South Rim which was the true value there.  We took a  private tour on the South Rim of this awe-inspiring Grand Canyon and learned so much!

·         Colorado River Rafting A rafting trip was perfect for this hot weather!  We donned life jackets and helmets and rafted our way down the river... loads of fun for all ages!

·         Monument Valley I felt honored to have a Navajo guide lead us to Discover the natural beauty of the buttes, mesas and secret niches.  It was a dusty ride for sure and since ABD thinks of everything, they gave us all bandanas to keep the dust off our mouths and noses.  

·         Diamondback Gulch Off-Road Tour Talk about FUN in Sedona!  We took a Pink Jeep Tour offroad for a bumpy ride through Diamondback Gulch.  Our driver was funny and taught us a lot about the local area as well as topography. I appreciated this tour being included because it's not something we would have normally done but it was lots of fun.

 

·         Bearizona Wildlife Park This wildlife safari park was one of my favorite educational stops on the trip.  Animal lovers will enjoy seeing and learning all about the variety of animals they house here.  The setting is beautiful with lots of trees and it feels like you're in the middle of the forest.. because you are! We had a filling buffet lunch here as well which we all enjoyed.

·         Mather Point Our first view of the Grand Canyon South Rim from Mather Point is something I will remember forever.  Words can't fully describe how awe inspiring the Grand Canyon is.

·         Arches National Park  Having a private local guide for our hike in Arches National Park meant we not only learned about the rocks we were seeing, but we learned about so much more... plants, people, animals, etc.  ABD does a really good job of making sure trips are not only fun, but educational as well.

·         Red Cliffs Lodge I wish we had more nights at Red Cliffs because it truly is a special gem!  Beautiful scenery, loved the rooms, surrounded by cliffs and the river, horses right outside your doorstep.  The staff was super friendly and the food was really tasty.  What more could we ask for?!

·         Williams, Arizona Get your kicks on this small Route 66 railroad town that is steeped in the history of the Old West.  Of course, a stop at Williams, Arizona was HIGH on my list of photo ops!  The guides were awesome & helpful in making sure we got all the Williams sign photos around town that we wanted...I think they were just as excited as I was to be in the town with our last name.  I love when the guides share in our excitement like that!

·         Cowboy Cookout and Entertainment Is there anything better than a riverside campfire with S'mores and a singing cowboy?!  With endless stars and good friends, it was a perfect ending to the evening!

·         Native American Dancing  One of the most interesting cultural experiences we've had was during a visit from some Navajo dancers after dinner.  Seeing them wear traditional outfits and perform traditional dances was such an honor.  The skill needed for some of these dances is unreal, and it really hit me when they said it's a quickly dying tradition and there are only a few left who know how to do things like the Hoop Dance.  

By: Heather Williams

Jo@traveltimetravel.com

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